Trials for GMO potato varieties underway in Rwanda

The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resource Development Board (RAB) is conducting trials on new potato varieties that require no fungicide spraying, officials said. According to Athanase Nduwumuremyi, Senior Research Fellow and Roots and Tubers Program Coordinator at RAB, the initiative, which is part of the adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMO), aims "to reduce production costs and stabilize market prices."

Potatoes are a staple food in Rwanda but price volatility due to fluctuating productivity has been a persistent challenge. According to Nduwumuremyi, various studies are being conducted to ensure the country successfully addresses current challenges hindering the potato industry.

Athanase Nduwumuremyi:

"We are actively researching new, highly productive varieties to lower market prices. Currently, low productivity drives up costs. By reducing production costs, we anticipate a decrease in market prices."

Nduwumuremyi highlighted that the use of fungicide accounts for approximately 40 percent of crop losses. 

Athanase Nduwumuremyi:

"We are currently conducting research on developing varieties that eliminate the need for fungicide spraying. We are making significant progress, with trials reaching approximately 70 percent completion."

According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), in 2024, the average potato yield was 6.8 tonnes per hectare for small-scale farmers and 14.9 tonnes per hectare for large-scale farmers, with an average yield of 9.1 tonnes per hectare in season C per hectare. One of the critical issues in the potato value chain, for example, is access to improved seeds. But new studies and the adoption of sandponics and aeroponics technologies used by Rwandan farmers show promising results.

Appolinaire Karegeya, Chairperson of the Musanze-based Seed Potato Fund (SPF) Ikigega:

"Promoting new technologies and improving access to quality seeds for smallholder farmers strengthens the potato food system. These technologies enable farmers to achieve higher yields compared to traditional practices. We are supporting farmers with advanced techniques and encouraging the use of improved seeds to increase national production."